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YMCA criticized for closed meetings

Former Chapel Hill-Carrboro YMCA leaders are speaking out against the organization’s decision to hold closed meetings following controversy about a proposal to make the facilities’ racquetball courts into additional fitness floor space.

In January, the YMCA announced it would repurpose the courts and increase the area of the fitness floor after conducting a survey among its users. The proposal has sparked opposition and protests from regular users of the courts, including a referendum from one court user.

YMCA Board of Directors Chairwoman Dabney Grinnan said the board began holding closed meetings after legal concerns surfaced with the referendum.

Rosemary Waldorf, who served on the YMCA board from 1985 to 1991, said she disagrees with the board’s decision to hold closed meetings — and she said she is not alone in her opinion.

She said the only reason the board closed meetings during her tenure was for personnel issues, like electing a new executive director.

“The Y has no history of closing meetings,” she said.

Robert Epting, a Chapel Hill resident and regular YMCA racquetball court user, said the survey never reached any of the racquetball players.

“We’re very disappointed,” he said. “We’ve been playing the sport for almost 30 years.”

Epting said he went to a recent board meeting to discuss the decision and was asked to leave.

After being shut out of the meeting, Epting presented the board with a referendum to amend the YMCA bylaws to require open meetings.

The referendum also proposed outlawing the repurposing of large facilities without first consulting the users of those facilities.

“We are going to continue to assert that we have a right to that vote,” he said.

“Our side is completely comfortable sitting down with the board for discussion.”

Grinnan said Epting’s referendum is a legal issue because it implies an impending lawsuit if the requirements of the proposal are not met.

She said the board did not decide to close the meetings to shut out the racquetball enthusiasts, and she is worried that the actions of the board are not being clearly explained to the public.

Grinnan said the board is still considering what to do with the racquetball courts, and it will release a public statement once a decision is made.

She said the criticism from former board members is hurtful, but she still has a lot of respect for them.

“I really do resent the thought that we are way out there in what we’re doing,” she said.

“We’re not really acting in a way that is out of step with a nonprofit board.”

Contact the desk editor at city@dailytarheel.com.

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